Belt-tightener.



X. CAVERNO.

BELT TIGHTENER.

APPLICATION FILED MAY29. 1911.

1,163,891. Patented Deo. 14, 1915.

UNllTlzlll) TATEB PATENT @Fllifll'tl XENOPI-ION CAVERNO, OF KEWANEE, ILLINOIS.

BELT-TIGI-ITENER.

Application filed May 29, 1911.

To all whom t may concern Be it known that I, XnNorHoN CAvERNo, a citizen of the United States, residing at Kewanee, county of Henry, and State of illinois, have invented new and useful Improvements in Belt-Tighteners, of which the following is a specification. l

My invention relates to improvements in belt tighteners.

The object of my invention is to provide an improved form of construction in which the belt tightening pressure will be resiliently applied and the resilient pressure applying means carried by an adjacent lever, and in such a manner that a uniform pressure may be maintained, in various adjustments.

More particularly my invention contemplates the use of a cushion spring between an adjusting lever and a pulley supporting lever in such relation that the spring will be moved with the levers and maintain its eflicient tension under all adjustments.

A further object of my invention is to provide a form of construction in which the different adjustments may be accomplished by foot pressure and such adjustments made in either direction.

In the following description, reference is had to the accompanying drawings, in which` Figure l is a side elevation of my improved belt tiglitener. Fig. 2 is a front elevation of the same.

Like parts are identified by the same reference characters throughout the several views.

A belt tightener pulley A is mounted in a supporting frame B, which is pivote/d at C to a base D. Said base is provided with a projecting portion E, having segmentally arranged teeth F along its front margin, the arrangement being such that the frame B will project upwardly from the rear portion of the base D. The base is preferably a double wall structure, and each of the walls is provided with a segmental row of teeth F along its front margin, as clearly shown in Fig. 2. An actuating lever G extends between the walls of the base and is fulcrumed to the pivot bolt C on which the pulley supporting frame B is mounted. The short or load arm of' this lever' is provided with a cup shaped extremity H forming a socket for the spring I, which is also soclreted in the frame B at J, said spring Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Bec. 314k, 1915. serial No. 630,046.

being therefore adapted to hold the frame B in a raised position with the pulley A bearing against a belt K, a portion of which is shown in Fig. l.

A pawl L is pivoted at M to the long or power arm of the lever Gr and has an upper margin N adapted to engage with the teeth F on both walls of the member E. This pawl is provided with outwardly extending arms 0, which serve as counterweights and may also serve as arms uponavhich pressure may be exerted by the foot of the operator or otherwise, to retract the pawl from engagement with the teeth F.

The lever G is preferably angularly disposed with the long or power arm inclined downwardly in a position to be easily actuated by pressure exerted by the foot of the operator. rThe arrangement is such that by merely pressing downwardly upon the long arm of the lever G, the pawl L will automatically engage with the teeth I and prevent the lever from retracting, the movement of the lever in this direction serving to tighten the belt. If it is desired to relieve the tension of the belt, the long arm of the lever G can be slightly depressed in the same manner and the foot of the operator then manipulated to press downwardly upon one of the arms O of the pawl L to retract the pawl, and then by relieving the pressure on the lever G, the long arm is permitted to move upwardly, the tension of the belt upon thepulley A coperating in producing this movement. The combined weight of the pulley A, frame B, and short arm of the lever is also greater than that of the long arm of the lever, so that said long arm will be lifted, when the pawl is in reti-active position. With the above described structure, the pressure of the spring I is applied in comparatively close proximity to the pulley, and as the lever G is, under normal working conditions, rigidly held against the tension exerted by the belt` there is no tendency to cause a vibration of the belt, which would be accentuated by vibrations in the lever and might cause such lever to oscillate and release the pawl.

My improvement also avoids the tendency heretofore found to exist in spring pressure belt tighteners to add the momentum of the tightener pulley and connected parts to that of a vibrating belt and cause the belt' to throw ofi". Another advantage of my 1mprovement is found in the Ct that I am able to 'use a comparatively short 'spring I, this being another feature which aidsinpreventing' vibration, -since the resistance offered by the spring to vibration in one direction, rapidly increases, and its tendency by reaction to force vibration in the other direction to -an eXtreme, is -also minimized.

Having' thus described my inventionywha-t I. claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. A beltxtightener, consisting' i'n-ithe combinationyof a hase an A:arm fpivotall'yconnected therewith, a belt tightener pulley mounted-upon said arman actuatinglle'ver independently fulcrumed `to the Vbase on "the pivotal f-'aXifs of said pulley supporting'4 arm, afspring interposed between `the lever-and arn'iat onel side of said yful'cruin pivot, `-and yieldingly supporting' the -arin from said leverV at one side of the fulcrunrpivot, and pawl and :ratchet mechanism operatively connected with the lever and base on the other side of the fulcrum Lpivot for holding the,v lever in yvarious positions of adjustment, saidpaivl being pivoted Vto said lever and provided with fan outwardly proj ecting arm, whereby ysaid y pawl may be Aactuated -by lthe foot of thevoperator to releasing position.

.Q .rh foot operated belttiglitener,consisting infthe combination ofy a raised base provided along its fro-nt margin with-aset ofdownwardly Aand -orwardly projecting teeth,;an operating-lever pivotally connected withthe reai-u1j perportion 'of said base and having one arm-projectingpast said toothed margin,

a lpawl mountedon said Ylever :inoperative relation to said teeth, a pulley supporting AAmember also pivoted to the base, a beltV that the .pawl supporting arm of said lever projects forwardly with 1a chiwnward inclinationfinrapzosition .convenient fto be actuated by :the foot of the operator, said pawl beingV falso mdapted Ito be *retracted under pressure `ot Fthe 1foot of the operator, substantially as described.

3. A belt tightenerrconsistingfinthezcombination fofa fdouble walled fbase -prov-ded with a set of segmentally arranged 'ratchet teeth, :a foot lever pivoted to the base between said favalls, and provided `with ya socket, apawl pivotally `mounted ,upon the lever 4'in operati-ye frela-tion to said teeth, a pulley fsupp-orting member :pivoted to tlie base, and 11a :springsocketed in-fthe pulley supportingmember and `in :the lever Isocket in a position to resiliently support the pulley supporting --1nember, Vthe pulley supporting member being' `otherwise movable independently of f said leven 11n testimony whereof I aihx my signaturer-intliefpresenoef of two witnesses dWitnesses: ,l

SGH-As. 5H. SHELDEN,

F. A. fDroK'rN-soN.

lCopes'ofthis patent may be obtanedforlvevcents eacmbyaddressngthe G'ommssionernoffPatents. Washington, rIJ. C. 

